


Eros' Curse

by Deviantelfguy



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Play, Cunnilingus, F/F, Femslash, Fingerfucking, Lesbian Sex, My First Smut, Porn With Plot, Rimming, Sibling Incest, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:55:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24475312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deviantelfguy/pseuds/Deviantelfguy
Summary: The Trio, the most unlikely and underwhelming villains that Buffy Summers has ever faced have declared war. Thanks to their nefarious machinations against The Slayer an ancient curse has been released. A curse that threatens to destroy Buffy's relationship with Dawn forever.
Relationships: Buffy Summers/Dawn Summers, Tara Maclay/Willow Rosenberg
Comments: 18
Kudos: 42





	1. “NINJAS!!!”

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: This is a "what if" story about how Buffy and Dawn Summers wind up having sex, and you might find it offensive. This story contains fictionalized representations of lesbian incest, which is bad in the real world but not in the story world because there nobody actually gets hurt - This story might also be offensive because, to some, the characters which inhabit the Whedonverse are like dear old friends or family. Bearing that in mind I extend sincerest apologies, and by way of explanation offer only that this story is the ultimate realization of a much younger version of myself who, somewhere in the late nineties, thought it would be really cool to watch actresses Michelle Trachtenberg and Sarah Michelle Gellar make the sticky; I'm not trying to piss in your chips.  
> If this kind of thing bugs you or you're not old enough to be here…please leave. Further: I do not own these or any of the other characters which inhabit the Buffy and Angel universes respectively. If I did, I would have a lot more money. They belong to Joss Whedon, who is by far richer than I am.

**Buffy** : **the Vampire Slayer**

_My name is Buffy Anne Summers, but to the many creepy things that go bump in the night, I’m known by another name...The Slayer. You know the story. One girl in all the land, chosen by destiny to fight the forces of darkness... yadda yadda...until the day I die._

_No big, I’ve died twice...not that anyone was counting._

_Well as you can imagine in all my years here at the Hellmouth, or as I like to call it, the most demony place on Earth, I’ve seen many things, fought evil dangerous creatures like...Vampires, Vampire Masters, Demons, Hell gods, AWOL government experiments, Immortal Mayors...and heck...I’ve even tussled with a killer robot that had the hots for my mother. (Talk about eeeewww!!!) But seriously nothing could have prepared me for......._

Part I

**Restfield. One of Sunnydale’s (twelve!) cemeteries.**

**Midnight.**

“Ninjas?!?” Buffy only managed to choke the word through her fit of barely controlled giggling. “Wait, hold on...it hurts!!! Okay. Okay, I think. I’m good.”

She gazed upon her Japanese opponents again. They glared at her….their thoughts unreadable save for the unmistakable air of anger radiating off of them.

“NO! Wait I can’t...I CAN’T!”

Bails of girlish laughter echoed through the darkness of the necropolis, reflecting and amplifying off the granite of nearby headstones and mausoleums; although a cemetery was hardly the place for comedy, this sure as hell seemed to be the night for it. The Tengu assassins regarded the Vampire Slayer with stony expressions. They either didn’t get the joke, or they were too secure in their Ninja-ness to be embarrassed. Either way Buffy didn’t care…she was too busy savoring the moment. For her, it seemed as if all the years of fighting for her life and railing against the legions of hell had all been leading up to this one pinnacle moment: The forces of evil had _finally_ bottomed out. 

“Sorry about that guys…” She stuttered after regaining her composure. “It’s just not every day I get jumped by masked pajama men. Listen, before I kick your Halloween costumed butts…seriously I got to ask, what is this? Has the Hellmouth finally run out of creepy monsters to toss at me? Because frankly...Ninjas!!! Come on! This is totally scraping the bottom of the bad guy barrel. What’s next, flying monkeys? No, wait…I think I did those.”

The only reply the young slayer received was the sound of razor-sharp swords being unsheathed. Taking a cue from her opponent’s body language…the young slayer prepared for a sudden charge.

 _No big they’re only...giggle...Ninjas_ …

Buffy’s masked adversaries tensed, ready for action. In a moment reminiscent of a Samurai movie, their blades gleamed menacingly under the moonlight. Then suddenly, the Ninja Buffy believed was the group’s leader (due to a decorative horned devil mask he wore and an alarming physical resemblance to Michael Dudikoff) exploded from his stance towards her. The Slayer had expected the skill of the inevitable attack to be just as ridiculous as her assailant’s clothing; however, the Slayer had underestimated her situation: Her foe was competent.

Anyone else would have been decapitated by the speed and power of his calculated attack, but the lithe blonde effortlessly dodged the leader’s sword swipe. Realizing his target had moved, he quickly pivoted and spun continuing several more times to try and draw blood from the petite girl. The Devilled Ninja (Wasn’t that a delicacy at Japanese cocktail parties?) pressed his attack, putting together to what many an onlooker would have considered an excellent display of swordsmanship. _Except_ for the part where the tiny girl managed to gracefully weave and dodge his every lethal effort. Frustrated with this turn of events, he increased the tempo of his attack. Blinded by anger in a very non-Buddhist kind of way, he never saw the grinning Slayer slip in under his guard to deliver a powerful open palm strike to his chest.

The blow impacted on his sternum and sent him careening towards his comrades in arms, who until then (In the classic martial arts film thug posse style) had apparently opted to attack her one at a time. _What was it with Ninjas, anyway? They never heard of Teamwork?_

Realizing the Black Wizards who had summoned them forth from their imprisonment in _Jigoku_ had not lied and this beautiful young girl was indeed a worthy opponent…the rest of the group charged towards the smirking blonde en masse in a very un-ninja-movie-ish demonstration of strategy.

“Spoke too soon…” Buffy grumbled. Using her supernatural speed, she easily dodged a rapid barrage sword swipes. Still amused at the whole surreal situation despite the fact that these men were literally trying to kill her…The Slayer decided to practice her banter skills at their expense…

“Well, at least you’re not charging me one at a time anymore. That’s something, cuz if you did, I don’t know what I’d do except ....” Buffy paused a moment to swiftly somersault over a swing meant to cripple her legs, “...probably pee my pants from laughter.” Landing with the grace of an acrobat, she quickly spun on the balls of her feet sweeping the legs out from under the Ninjas that had charged to intercept her landing. “Seriously…” She said conversationally, “If that were to happen, you know…I’d have to toss my no slaying humans rule out the window and kill the lot of you, cuz there is no way I could leave any witnesses to my peeing on the battlefield. It’d be way too embarrassing explaining it to the gang especially Xander. He might spin it into a new kind of fetish, Urolagnia Tenguphilia, or something.”

A couple of the masked assassins managed to get in close to the chattering blonde, who was enjoying herself too much to give the situation her full undivided attention. Hoping to catch her off guard while her back was to them, one of them lunged at her in a cowardly display of malice. To his dismay, she quickly whirled around and dodged the downward arc of his sword, and used the momentum of the spin to drive her elbow directly into his temple.

“Trying to stab a lady in the back?” Buffy asked while waiving a chastising finger at her newly unconscious foe. “You guys really have no honor. Guess you’re not turtles under there, huh?”

Hearing the approach of another Ninja, the agile teen sent herself airborne evading yet another lunging swipe of a katana, “Are you still at it? I mean, if you’re not careful I could accidentally poke one of my eyes out with the pointy end of one of your swords while you bumble around trying to hit me. And let me tell you, an eye patch could seriously put a damper on my social calendar. That is to say, if I actually HAD a social calendar…which I don’t. Not my fault though…being dead for three months would kill any girl's social life.”

Buffy drove her knee into the groin of a more portly Ninja whom she’d silently designated “Sammo Hung,” and then backflipped away, catching his jaw with her boot in mid-motion.

“But enough about me, I feel I haven’t really connected with your group on a whole hero/ bad guy level here. Tell me about yourselves! I mean, what do I call you...The Hand...” An infuriated ninja threw a high kick which was easily ducked and then countered by a leg trip, which sent him tumbling onto a nearby headstone.

“...okay, not The Hand. The Foot? Or maybe you’re named after some other body part? Hopefully, nothing that dangles. Ooooh ooooh!!! Wait, I got it! This is some kind of villain mix up, isn’t it? You’re actually looking for a different super hottie with crazy ninja skills! You know the one! Black hair, wears red, carries a pair of sai, and has a tendency to date blind lawyers?”

Buffy sighed inwardly. She’d finally managed to crack a comic book pun on Xander’s epic level of geekdom…and he wasn’t even around to appreciate the beauty of the moment. The ninjas suddenly paused their attack, realizing that their intended prey was toying with them…something that would have been far more obvious had they understood the English language. They knew that if they were to succeed in their mission, and thus please their dark masters, they were going to have to change strategies quickly before their intended prey tired of them and finished them off. As things stood, they had only one notable advantage in combat, and that was the hubris of their enemy.

“Oh, come on…” Buffy continued, lost in the moment. “I’m like using some of my best banter here and I feel you’re just not appreciating it! Hang on a sec…this is some kind of gag, right? Like Slayer Candid Camera? Did that wacky Travers put you up to ...”

“Kiia!” the chunky Samuel Hung Ninja, having heard enough American California Girl Babble, threw one of his tanto knives at the Slayer’s head. Buffy reflexively arced her sylph-like body backward, letting the blade sail benignly past...but to her horror, she’d been so busy playing she failed to notice the Devil Masked leader closing in from behind.

The blade struck the Lead Ninja, embedding itself cleanly in his throat. Buffy felt her heart stop as the situation ceased to be a game and rapidly became deadly and tragically serious. 

“Oh, my God....no. NO!!” The chosen one choked out the words as she felt her guts tighten. “You weren’t supposed to be there...”

Buffy quickly ran over to the fallen leader in a frenzied effort to save him, but unfortunately, Giles’s training had primarily been in the arts of killing… _not_ healing. Even so, her attempt to help would have been in vain. The blade had gone clean through his neck, severing his jugular. This was not the outcome she’d intended. After all, this had just been fun. They were human! Not demons! Slayers don’t kill people! She’d been extra careful not to hurt them, especially after the tragic example set by Faith and Allan Finch. But now, thanks to her actions, the deluded fool in his make-believe Japanese warrior outfit had met his end. It was a terrible way to die: Dressed like an idiot and killed by one of your own stupid comrades.

“You just killed him...” Buffy whispered.

Then to her sudden surprise, Devil Mask’s body began to violently spasm. The Chosen one quickly stepped aside to watch in awe as plumes of gaseous green smoke rose from his paroxysmal corpse. The body seemed to rot and decay right in front of her eyes until all that was left of it was an empty, foul-smelling pile of clothes with the bloodied dagger resting atop it.

_They’re not human, they’re some kind of reanimated corpses!!!_

Buffy was so thrown back by the realization that she hadn’t allowed a real live human being to die due to her carelessness, that she’d completely forgotten the other four bloodthirsty Zombie Ninjas still out to get her. Although her senses were heightened to a superhuman degree by the power bestowed on her as the Chosen One, the distraction was just enough to prevent her from hearing another oncoming attack.

“AAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!!!”

She screamed as the unmistakable sensation of ice-cold steel shearing through soft flesh engulfed her. The razor keen blade of her enemy’s Katana cut Buffy from her shoulder blade down to her lower back. Luckily for her, in the split second before the blow landed she’d managed to shift her position just enough so that her lapse in judgment caused only a nasty wound instead of her death, or worse…a life of paralysis due to a severed spine. Office jobs might take the time to accommodate for the physically disabled, but somehow Buffy knew that the forces of Hell wouldn’t be as obliging to a handicapped Vampire Slayer.

The air reeked of her own blood. The evening’s mêlée had ceased to be a game the moment she’d thought a human life had been lost…but now Buffy was wounded and angry. Thankfully, things had been made easy for her; she was a Slayer, and her opponents were evil undead things. It was time to get down to the business of slaying. Ignoring the pain burning down her back, she turned to face the ninja that had nearly cleaved her in two. His blade, covered in her blood, mocked her. It was rare that she suffered a wound more severe than a few bumps and bruises…things which could easily be explained away as the result of a hearty interest in gymnastics and athletics when probed by a concerned teacher or physician. A gash like the one now throbbing on her back could never be so easily dismissed. Crimson dripped down from the edge of the Ninja’s sword onto the ground before him, silently anointing the vanquished leader’s mask-like an obscene christening.

A smile played across her lips.

She dug her foot into the ground as she sank down to one knee with all the fluidity of a professional dancer. Her muscles…hard as steel beneath the soft skin of a teenage girl…coiled like industrial springs full of unleashed kinetic energy. Her heart sped, sinews twitched in anticipation under tanned smooth flesh…but like a cobra, Buffy calmly waited for exactly the right moment to strike.

Mistaking this moment as the girl's acceptance of defeat, the ninja took a high stance with his sword….thus playing right into Buffy’s hands; This had been just what the experienced Slayer was waiting for. Her undead opponent moved to deliver a final downward slash to finish off the blonde and thus end put a stop to her endless barrage of nonsensical _Gaijin_ -English-babble…but his moment of victory was cut short. In a preternatural burst of speed, Buffy shot forward from her crouched position, retrieving the forgotten tanto that lay bloodied atop Devil Mask’s empty Ninja garb. In the same blinding burst of swiftness…The Chosen One managed to get close enough to deliver a fatal upwards thrust under the Ninja’s chin. The dagger plunged through soft and hard palate…deep into the skull of her would-be executioner.

Like his fallen leader before him, the assassin’s body also began to rot and smoke. Not wanting to waste any time, Buffy drew the buried tanto out from under the rapidly disintegrating Ninja’s jaw. She took a moment to glare in the direction of her remaining foes, who now seemed to be taking primarily defensive stances. The abandonment of their aggressive postures didn’t matter; they’d be joining the Slayer’s most recent kill soon enough. With a motion so fast it was barely visible to the naked human eye; she kicked up the newly fallen Ninja’s bloody katana off the ground and right into her free hand. Then slowly as if the move were practiced for an Akira Kurosawa film…The Vampire Slayer turned her attention to the final three undead warriors.


	2. The Napoleon's of Crime

Part II

Elsewhere…three pairs of eyes watched the drama unfold in horror from the relative safety of a surveillance monitor, as the Slayer began a double-bladed dance of death. As if cast in the lead in a lethal ballet, Buffy pirouetted between her enemies, taking them apart a piece at a time as they struggled to defend themselves against her whirlwind of savage grace.

“FOUL!! I CALL A FOUL!!!” An agitated voice shrieked from the confines of an easy boy recliner (which had recently been conscripted to aid the cause of evil, now that Grandpa had the new lift chair so he could make it to the potty in time.)

“Oh man, that’s not good...” The smallest of the three men stammered. “This is just like the end of ‘Serenity’ when the hot Autistic chick goes all Cuisinart on the space cannibals. It could have been written by the _same_ guy…”

“God that was a great scene, I just got chills thinking about it. And anyway…FOUL! RED CARD! RED CARD! I didn’t know Buffy was a master of Musashi’s _Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū,_ two heavens at once technique! Had I known she was a master of the two swords, I would have summoned ninjas with some different weapons. I was given faulty intelligence!” The exasperated blonde male continued.

“The Absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence, Andrew…” The smaller young man added. “We’re fricking evil geniuses. We’re supposed to be Ernst Stavro Blofeld. We’re supposed to be NINO BROWN! You should have anticipated the Slayer’s abilities and given Michael Dudikoff a pair of those chainey Kama thingamajigs they sometimes use against people with swords. That’s what Scaramanga would have done.”

“I have a feeling changing weapons wouldn’t have made a whole hell of a lot of difference….” Said a third figure, who until then had chosen to remain silent. He sat in the shadows, staring out at his two compatriots with undisguised disdain.

“Hello...why?” Asked the tall thin teenager.

“Because they were Ninjas, Andrew!!!” Warren responded, barely containing his anger. “Were supposed to be criminal masterminds taking over Sunnydale and what do you throw at our one and only rival? Ninjas.....Fucking Ninjas!”

“They were Oni Ninjas,” Andrew whispered apologetically.

“Oni Ninjas?!? Dude, you stood right there and said to me ‘ _Warren I have the perfect warriors to pit against the Slayer, by this time tomorrow she will be chased out of Sunnydale no problem.’_ Well, guess what, Andrew. It’s officially tomorrow, and Buffy just handed your ninja warriors their collective kung-fu asses. And by the way…you think in asinine clichés!”

“Hey! Ninjas don’t practice Kung-Fu ”

Jonathan added as a show of support for Andrew. “Yeah and besides…it could have been anyone’s mistake. You’d think any idiot with a real-life Ninja certification could take out a Vampire Slayer _.”_

“SHHHH. Just shut up nimrods. I need to think.” Now that Andrew had brilliantly succeeded in his plan to raise the Slayer’s level of alertness while simultaneously humiliating himself, Warren needed a brief pause to silently ponder which diabolical road the Trio should then take. He quickly realized that the group needed to sharply refocus if his…rather _their_ … plans were going to come to any fruition.

“Ok, gather ‘round kiddies….” He said after a moment. “Let’s recap. The master plan is to beat the slayer. I repeat: BEAT the slayer, not throw stupid movie clichés at her and watch her piss all over that little ass of hers with laughter…because frankly, if I wanna see a girl pee herself, I have the fucking internet.”

“Jonathan?!!” An infuriated Andrew cried, looking to his friend for more aid.

“With All due respect Warren, Ninjas are not clichés, but highly trained warriors in the ancient, mystical, and deadly arts of Ninjitsu...They should have been more than capable of handling one Slayer.“ The diminutive sorcerer explained, thus reaffirming his friend Andrew’s choice in adversary for The Chosen One.

“Thank you,” Andrew replied, once again feeling vindicated after all being a criminal did not mean one had no feelings.

“She’s super strong, numbnuts. She’d rip the arms off of Soni Chiba, bend us over that couch right there, and cram them deep...deep…into our asses without even breaking a sweat.” Warren paused briefly for effect, and then quickly continued to drive the point home. “...And this, of course, would be only the foreplay preceding the monumental ass-kicking she would give us if she found out what we’re up to!!! Comprende? Or do I have to write out memos in freaking Klingon so that you guys finally understand how precarious our situation is?”

“Actually, I’ll take my memo in Jawa if you please.” Andrew playfully mocked his angry friend Warren.

“Yeah, me too Warren. No, wait, on second thought…maybe you can write mine in Huttese? I don’t like the height parallels that can be drawn between myself and a Jawa.”

“Huttese,” Andrew repeated, bursting into laughter, “Good one Jonathan, high five. Well, …low five.”

“You two are un-fuckin-believable!” Warren screamed. His blood was boiling as he listened incredulously to the sheer stupidity of his so-called _partners_.

“Whatever. And by the way...Soni Chiba didn’t play ninjas at all. That was Sho Kosugi, you dumbass.” Andrew stated matter-of-factly.

“What?!!” Warren could barely even choke out the word with his anger becoming like a squeezing hand upon his throat.

“Andrew is saying that Sho Kosugi was the Asian actor who played ninjas, not Soni Chiba. He was more Samurai,” Jonathan clarified. “Sho Kosugi was, you know, the guy from the Ninja trilogy.” 

“Actually Jonathan, the ninja trilogy wasn’t a true trilogy since _‘Enter The Ninja,’_ _‘Revenge of The Ninja,’_ and _‘Ninja III: The Domination’_ were not related to each other story-wise.”

“Really? I can’t believe I didn‘t know that…”

“OH MY GOD!!! Were supposed to be supervillains, people! And you jackasses are arguing about this crap! Who the hell is going to take The Trio seriously? We might as well go to the police station and confess that we robbed the bank! Then you two morons can swap film facts with your prison shower buddies because if you think for one second Jonathan that a soft little cherub, like you, is getting out of there without emotional scars you’re DEAD WRONG! AND YOU, ANDREW! YOU MIGHT LIKE IT! I….I just wonder about you sometimes man…”

“Whatever dude…you’re just pissed cuz you didn’t know your ninja trivia.” Andrew chided.

Warren tried to mask the little bit of truth in his partner’s statement by continuing his tirade. “It doesn’t matter! Ninjas won’t kill the Slayer! It’s like Rock, Paper, Scissors! Vampires beat Ninjas, Vampire Slayer beats Vampires, so Vampire Slayer shoves Ninja’s heads up each other’s ass! That’s called _logic_ , kiddies. I say we bump the freeze ray up in our To-Do list, make the damn thing, knock on Buffy’s door and pull a subzero on the bitch’s skinny little ass.”

“Whoa…” Andrew quickly interrupted. “Hold on a parsec there. What’s this killing Buffy thing?”

“Yeah dude, we voted…and there was no killing of the Buffy.” Jonathan agreed.

“You’re undermining the delicate democratic process with which we maintain our sinister union, man. It was ix-nay on the urder-may.”

“In case you’ve forgotten…” The vertically challenged super-villain explained as he pointed to the enormous whiteboard in the back of the Trio’s lair, “The Trio has both a purpose _and_ a mission statement. Take a look at our To-Do List:

  1. Build criminal empire
  2. Control weather
  3. Miniaturize Fort Knox



“Yeah Jonathan, don’t forget we got to put an asterisk on that one cuz we got to build the shrink ray first,” Andrew added helpfully.

“Oh yeah, right, thanks, Andrew…Okay…Lemme just pencil that in…”

  1. Miniaturize Fort Knox * (Schedule trip to Radioshack to build shrink ray first)
  2. Acquire fake ids to buy booze for babes.
  3. BABES!!!
  4. Create evil Freeze ray (Not GOOD Freeze ray. EVIL Freeze Ray.)
  5. The gorilla thing...



“Wait, Jonathan, what gorilla thing?’ Andrew interrupted.

“You know the trained gorilla thing.”

“Oh yea right that’s gonna be legendary, okay go on.”

  1. Babes, babes, and more babes.
  2. Workable jetpacks.
  3. The most important of our goals, hypnotize Buffy into being our wild sex bunny.



“Wild HORNY sex bunny.” Andrew corrected.

“Yeah, cuz she’s got to want it or else it’s no fun.”

“So you see my murderously malicious, misconceived friend…” Andrew continued, “We hypnotize, not kill. Cuz she’s you know...”

“HOT!” Both boys shouted in unison.

“And by the way Andrew, that was very good bad guy alliteration.”

“Are you just saying that…?”

“No way man, that was some Moriarty shit right there.”

“Arthur Conan Doyle Moriarty or Star Trek the Next Generation Moriarty?”

“Dude, classic either way…”

The sound of a clap echoed as Jonathan and Andrew shared a high five.

“ENOUGH!” Warren thundered. “Just how do you suppose we do that? You’re a midget and she’s already beaten my robots! What, is Andrew gonna go Darkside and Jedi mindfuck the bitch into giving us head? ‘Cause frankly, I don’t see that happening.”

“Why not?”

“Hello, morons! The girl is a super-powered freak! So....” Warren whipped a newspaper off the workbench behind him and threw it at his partners.

“Ooooh, they are having a sale at Game Stop! I can finally trade in my Sims 2!” Andrew announced gleefully.

“Not that page retard,” Warren snatched the newspaper from Andrew’s hands and tore through it until he reached an article about new museum acquisitions. He held it up for his partners to skim. “…THIS Page.”

“Come see rare antiquities..…” Jonathan muttered aloud. “On loan from the Metropolitan Museum of New York City...among them....rare gem collection....temple remains from Pompeii dig...”

“See? Look at the picture. Those are exactly the right jewels I need to get our freeze ray up and running. Its fate, I say we steal them and go with my plan to ice the bitch.”

“No! No killing Buffy.” Andrew began to whine.

“Oh, grow up!”

The smallest of the Trio kept reading while his friends bickered back and forth. Words seemed to leap out at the page to him. “Temple remains from Pompeii dig....Temple of Venus? This sounds so familiar. Guys, where are my magic tomes?”

“YOU WANT SOME O’ THIS...BRING IT BIOTCH!” Andrew hollered as he put Warren in a side headlock; Meanwhile, Warren began to pepper his friend’s kidneys with rabbit punches, desperately trying to break out of the nerd-hold.

“Oh forget it. I’ll go find them myself. You two feel free to keep making out.” Jonathan rummaged about the lair in search of his Grimoire - It was a strange paradox that he considered the moments when his friends were noisily beating the snot out of each other as his ‘quiet time.’ He found the book underneath a massive volume of “The Essential Spider-Man,” And silently began leafing through its pages…completely oblivious to the geek wrestling exhibition which was taking place five feet in front of him. Completely engulfed in his research, he finally arrived at the engraving he was looking for…and couldn’t believe he had the memory for it. If only math had proven so easy, he wouldn’t have needed two years of summer school.

“YES!!! Guys, listen: I just found the answer to our problems.”

“The freeze ray?” Warren piped up hopefully from underneath Andrew’s butt.

“No, don’t be lame. This is a hundred times better. Look.” Jonathan held open the book.

“And….What am I looking at?” Warren asked quizzically. It seemed being pummeled by his friend had put him into a better mood. But that was something Jonathan felt he would rather leave for a shrink to figure out. What he cared about was the fact that he finally had his companion’s attention.

“This…mon ami. This is the symbol of Eros, not Venus. But I can see the mistake, many people believed she was his mother…”

“WHAT’S THE POINT, DUDE?” Warren interrupted, hoping to slay the history lesson before it began.

“Oh right, as I was saying, Venus...”

“Venus, right!” Said Andrew, tossing his two cents into the conversation. “You said that already! Get to the point so I can finish becoming the new Hardcore Champion!”

“I would get to the point if you girls would shut up for a second and let me explain, okay? Good. Venus, as in the goddess of love. This is from her shrine at Pompeii, supposedly it was destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. Luckily, they were wrong…Godly artifacts can’t be destroyed. And you see, this particular temple was especially revered because it was supposed to have housed the last remaining earthly quiver from her son's bow.”

“Yeah, so, what’s so special about that?”

“Venus’s son was Eros. Eros as in Cupid...stupid.”

“Wait a minute, did you say GODLY artifacts? Like…Cupid actually owned it?”

A wicked smile grew across Warren’s lips. He was starting to get it. “What you’re saying is…just like in the myths…these arrows have the power to make people fall in love.” His devious mind was already exploring the possibilities of this new, potentially grand weapon. “If we were to hit the Slayer with one of those, we could make her fall in love with anyone we want?”

“Yeah.” Jonathon beamed.

“Hmmmm.” Warren weighed this option internally. There were plenty of possibilities with this new plan. But the Slayer, he felt, was just too dangerous to be played around with. It would be a classic villain mistake to underestimate her on that level. “Nah. I think I’d like her better, dead.”

“Oh come on Warren. If she’s under our spell, she can steal for us.”

“Lame.”

“Andrew, help me out here.”

“Well, she is the Slayer. So she could pummel into goo any demon who might try and stop our meteoric rise to power.”

“Think Warren. Not only would she serve as our personal bodyguard. Think about what else she could be. You remember in high school, all the lil skirts she wore, huh? The butt, the legs, and those fuck-me-boots.”

“Oh yeah…” Warren conceded. “I remember those....staring at her legs got me through a lot of English Lit. Hell, thinking of those legs got me carpel tunnel, sophomore year.”

“Me too,” Andrew added.

The Trio shared a reminiscent laugh over masturbatory fantasies gone by. And Warren, moved by fond memories of hand lotion and moist towelettes, slowly started to lose his resolve. Buffy Summers, the cheerleader, the Slayer, Buffy who would never date a man as low as him, Buffy, whose eyes he could see mocking him when she learned the purpose of his robots (as if she had a right to judge, laying a vampire…) Buffy who was so proud. Who held her head up so high, who probably looked down on him. It would feel good to bend her to his will, bend her over, enter her, and own her. It would feel good to get back at her and all the others - All those women and girls who weren’t good enough for him, not intelligent enough to want him. It would feel good to have this symbol of their power licking him like a dog. Deep down, Warren knew that his friends were just boys driven by a little taste of power, living out a wish-fulfillment fantasy to have a beautiful girl do whatever they wanted. He himself was driven by something deeper and greater; something angry. He knew deep down that it was a mistake. But he also knew that once he’d had the thought…he couldn’t let go of it. It would gnaw him like a flea until he crushed the urge. 

“Okay, okay…” He smiled amiably. “You guys are right. She’s way too hot to just kill; Besides, I met this guy Parker at one of those SU frat parties, and he told me he actually bagged her one night.”

“Really? Did he give you any details?” Jonathan inquired eagerly.

“Yeah. He says she’s quite the bunny in the sack. She only acts all cute and innocent but in the bedroom, she rode his dick like a porn star. Like any woman. ”

“No way!” Andrew exclaimed. “What else did he tell you? Was she like into anything…you know…Freaky?”

Both Jonathan and Warren gave Andrew a sidelong glance. Both men were afraid to ask what sort of demented fetish Andrew was referring to. It probably involved Sith Lords and Coprophilia.

Andrew shrunk under their gaze. “What?... What? I’m just curious.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter. He didn’t get the chance, because this big blonde farm boy took offense to what we were saying and kinda kicked our asses…fricking Smallville reject that he was. But nevertheless, if you can believe it, your plan actually makes sense Jonathan. A Slayer enforcer totally devoted to us has its advantages, and when her slaying skills are not needed she can be my...errr...our sex slave.” 

“Oh, the things she could do...” Jonathan could only begin to imagine.

“Oooh, oooh…yeah, like we can make her do our laundry and clean our rooms.” Andrew wiggled his eyebrows at his friends.

“Wait, you can have the slayer do anything….anything at all. And you want her to clean your mess?” Warren was surprised at his friend’s lack of imagination.

“Yeah dude, cleaning your room…that’s just stupid.”

“Duh...Naked!” Andrew clarified.

“Oh! Yeah, that would be cool.” Both Jonathan and Warren couldn’t argue with that one. Besides, they’d seen Andrew's room. They were deeply certain that it actually might require a vampire Slayer’s strength to straighten it out.

“Guys, this is going to be so cool! It will be just like having one of Warren's robots, except this one tastes like "girl" instead of non-stick cooking spray.”

“Hey! I didn’t hear any complaints from you about the Christina Ricci-bot. In fact, whatever you did with her fried her CPU so bad Jonathan and I never got our turn.”

“I just tried to give her a bath…” Andrew whispered solemnly. “The new car smell was ruining the fantasy.”

Warren looked genuinely wounded at the prospect that his female robots might be Honda-scented. “That’s wrong dude you weren’t complaining while you pumped away at Jonathan’s mom-bot last week.”

“Hey!!! Warren you said it was a secret.”

“WHAT THE FUCK MAN!! Did you two losers make a...a robot copy of my mother?” Andrew asked incredulously at the prospect of his two friends having sex with a robot crafted in his mother’s image.

“Err...Well... kind of.” Andrew managed to stammer out as Jonathan’s seething anger bore a hole through him, “Ok we did but we had a really good reason for doing it.”

“And that would be WHAT exactly?”

“Tell him Warren.”

“Dude your mom is milfy hot. Besides you, two dill holes are always staring at my mom’s ass whenever she brings sandwiches to the lair. So quit your bitching and stop being a big baby. Because it’s time to saddle up your horses, boys…cuz the Trio is going to the museum!”


	3. A Good Night’s Rest

Part III

_It’s way late…_ Dawn thought to herself as she laid awake half-buried among her sheets, surrounded by all her favorite stuffed animals. The young girl was silently waiting for her sister to arrive from her nightly patrol. It didn't mean that Dawn wasn't confident in her sister's ability to handle anything the Hellmouth threw at her. It was just that Buffy was the only family she had left, and she worried about her accordingly. 

Yes, she found that Buffy could be a real pain sometimes…but bossy or not, Dawn loved her and was in no rush to lose her big sister again. Not after the events of that summer, everything they'd gone through.

She could hardly accept it. People were always saying how they'd trade their life for a loved one, but how many of them would actually go through with it? Well, her sister had made that choice without hesitation. Dawn still couldn't believe she'd ever doubted the love Buffy felt for her, and the very idea that she had filled her with deep guilt. She knew that she was not even truly human. She had been a magical construct created to hide her true identity as the Key. It drove her mad sometimes. The realization that there would always be a part of her that would think of herself as not real. She thought Buffy had felt the same, maybe resented her for coming into her life uninvited. Yes, Dawn had doubted.

 _Never again_...Dawn thought. _Now that Buffy’s home, I’m going to try and take care of_ her _for change._

Dawn's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the familiar sound of the front door opening. Quietly, she listened for the creek of the stairs that signaled her sister's approach towards her bedroom. The young brunette knew what would come next, so she made sure to bury herself under the covers. She shut her eyes and lay as inaudibly as possible.

 _Buffy always makes sure to look in on me. Dawn thought. Why does she still check up on me, anyway? I'm a grown woman! It's like she thinks I'm some kind of little kid..._ Dawn thought irritably as she snuggled into her favorite stuffed monkey.

_God!_

*******

On the other side of the door, Buffy was trying hard to focus. She'd reached for her sister's doorknob, but to her surprise, the door handle moved. _Did doorknobs usually move?_ At least it seemed like it had to the young Slayer. Something was very wrong. She was woozy, and her body felt as if she were running a high fever. She had been so busy admonishing herself for nearly getting cut in two earlier in the night, that she’d failed to notice something slowly working itself through her system.

 _Poison!! It has to be,_ She thought. _The blade was probably poisoned...just great. Isn’t that what Ninjas do??? Poison things and then poke you with them? Thank God everyone is asleep; This is way too embarrassing for them to know. I’ll just die if it’s a ninja that finally manages to kill me_ , she thought to herself.

Through her unfocused haze, the young Slayer realized that the time for self-reflection should wait. At this moment, her body's immune system needed time to fight off whatever toxins she'd been exposed to. The best course of action was to head for bed to get some sleep and let her body heal, but first, she had to clean up her wounds - She figured there was no reason to add infection to her list of ailments. 

“No need to wake Dawnie up," Buffy whispered to herself as she quietly walked away from her sister's door. She headed on to the bathroom.

Once inside the white-tiled room, she took a few moments to remove her bloodied shirt and inspect her wounds. As she had suspected, the long gash had already begun to heal. All she needed to do was clean the cut and wash away the dried blood, which covered most her back.

Meanwhile, back in Dawn’s room, the young brunette was growing impatient. _Where the heck is she, what....did she forget? Hello! Younger sister here could very well be in trouble! There could be like a dozen demons sucking the marrow from my bones in here! Or I could have boys over or be smoking crack! And you just go to bed without checking in on me? What kind of older sister are you?_

Dawn thumped out of her bed in a huff and crept out into the darkened hallway. Everything was dark. Tara and Willow's door was closed. There was a lingering scent of jasmine wafting from under there door, which meant they either had been doing spells or making love. _Hummph!! They always locked the door now_ , Dawn mused to herself. _What gives? Just cuz I accidentally happen to walk in on them a few times. Jeez. It's not my fault; they pick the most inconvenient times to make with the naked smoochies. Not like I did it on purpose either. I really did have totally valid reasons for interrupting their happy time. Like the first time when my lunch had exploded in the microwave, who knew those plates weren’t microwave safe? I had to warn them! Or the second time when the pancakes were burning. Pancakes, mind you, that I was selflessly making for them. OH!! And then there the one time when the remote for the TV was missing...but that was life or death._

_I'd have died if I missed "Gossip Girls."_

_Totally!_

…. _Ok, Conscience! Ok! Maybe that time, I really did just want to see Tara naked! Are you HAPPY now? You want to hear me say I'm a little gay well fine! But…but…Hey, can't blame a girl for being curious when the walls are paper-thin, and there's, like, hot girl on girl action going on two doors down, can you? I know they try to be quiet on my account, but I can still hear the moans. I just wanted a peek!_ _I know Tara is beyond spoken for, but I can’t help myself for totally crushing on the girl. She’s like beyond yummy. Stop persecuting me, conscience!!!_

Swallowing her internal battle, for the time being, Dawn continued searching for her older sister. She'd tried Buffy's room but found it empty. She thought it was odd since she knew she'd heard Buffy walk upstairs. Dawn was suddenly startled by a small whimper of pain that emanated from the bathroom. Realizing it was probably Buffy, Dawn slowly walked towards the entrance.

Inside, she could hear the sound of running water.

"Buffy, are you alright?" The younger girl asked as she quietly knocked on the bathroom's white door. When she received no answer, she gently pushed the door ajar. Inside, she was met by the terrible sight of her usually tough sister, shivering and wounded, struggling to sit upright on the edge of the bathtub. Buffy was barely wrapped in a towel and covered in thick, partially dried blood. Her ripped clothes lay discarded beside her, which gave the room the air of a freshly discovered murder scene. “OH MY GOD, BUFFY!! What happened?" The Slayer looked in Dawn's general direction as if attracted to the sound of her voice. Yet she was unable to focus on its source. 

Within seconds Dawn was at her side.

"Buffy, are you ok? What happened?"

Buffy tried to smile at her sister. She knew she’s been caught; in her dazed mind, the situation was more akin to being found with her hand in a cookie jar, than dying next to a toilet.

“It looks worse than it is.” She explained frankly, “It’s already healing. I just need to clean up.”

"Right, that's why you're sitting here in the dark...half-naked!" Dawn growled sarcastically as she walked over and flipped the light switch. The younger girl wanted to yell at her sister for not coming to anyone for help but figured it was not the time for a lecture. Instead, she filed the ass-chewing that Buffy had coming away on her immediate to-do list, crossed her arms and glared. Had she looked in the mirror at that precise moment, she'd have been shocked to see a posture identical to that of Joyce Summers. Buffy noticed it too, if not unconsciously, and couldn't bring herself to look her sister directly in the eye.

"I didn't want to wake you guys. I had it under control," She tried to explain.

"Oh, and this is under control? God, you're such a butthead sometimes I swear! How you got chosen to be the Slayer is beyond me. Oh wait, maybe they look for half-witted girls like you! Maybe that's why Slayers always get KILLED so damn fast! You're like supercharged lemmings! Come here! Let me help before you fall face first into the toilet."

"Nah, I almost got it..." Buffy tried to reach her wound to demonstrate that she was more than capable of handling the situation on her own. Then the world began to spin a little faster than it usually seemed to, and she almost ended up falling back into the porcelain tub.

"But, you can probably reach it easier." She muttered, quietly conceding to Dawn's point. And slowly, she turned away from her sister to reveal a long deep gash running down her shoulder blade, straight to her lower back.

Dawn quietly gasped at the sight of the wound. 

Taking notice of the pained look on the teen's face in the mirror, Buffy tried some for levity. "Guess I should have zigged when I zagged, huh?"

Dawn's response was to jab it with her thumb, to let her sister know she wasn't amused. Buffy let out a sharp yelp, much like a cocker spaniel that had its tail stepped on.

“It looks deep,” the younger girl somberly stated. “But you’re right. Luckily for you, it’s already mending thanks to your freakazoid healing powers. But if we don't stitch it closed, it's going to leave one heck of a scar. I should let it just so you have something to remind you of what a complete dumbass you are." 

"Yeah, well...I hear some guys are into scars." The Slayer countered.

"This isn't a joke. You know it's ok for you to ask for help every once in a while. We're all here to help. You don't have to carry this burden alone."

“I know Dawnie, it's just..." Buffy began. Slowly, she turned her face to look at her sister. Dawn frowned slightly at hearing the affectionate nickname given to her when they were just little kids. It reminded her that she was still a little girl in her older sister's eyes…and that it would probably never change. Not even when they were old and grey - provided, Buffy survived that long. Nevertheless, Dawn put a slender finger to her sister's lips, shushing her. Then quietly, she got up to gather everything she needed to stitch and bandage the wound from the medicine cabinet.

"Ok, let's clean those cuts."

“Sure.” Buffy once again turned away from her sister to give her access to the bloody slash.

"Uh, Buffy..." Dawn started, after noticing exactly how low the cut on Buffy's back traveled. She had learned from previous experiences that situations like this were only awkward if she let them become that way. And this was a situation that could easily become very awkward very fast. "...for me to clean this, you're going to have to drop the towel a little more, you know, down…so that I can..."

“Oh!” She answered after a bewildered pause. With the mildly narcotic poison slowly working its way out of her system, thinking was not one of her strong points. Buffy placed her arms over her breasts to cover them up and lowered the towel to give Dawn more access to her wound. Inadvertently, she also exposed a lot more of her backside to the already blushing brunette.

 _Whoah! Did you have to be so…naked?_ Dawn silently asked as she reached for her supplies. A big part of the young girl was curious, and she was trying to keep that curiosity at bay. Her eyes wanted to wander further south to the exposed rear of her older sister. Not in the same way, she usually wanted to see Tara unclothed, of course. At least that's what she told herself. Instead, she'd always been jealous of Buffy's looks. And naturally, it was more than a little tempting to check out what her older sister had over her. Regardless Dawn ignored the sinful temptation, dabbed a cotton ball with alcohol, and began to clean around the outer edge of her sister's injury.

“This is going to hurt, I’m sorry.”

"Hey, part of the job. No big." Buffy quipped reassuringly while flashing a cocky smile over her bare shoulder.

Dawn rolled her eyes at her sister’s bravado and set to work. Buffy grew silent while her little sister’s skillful hands moved with practiced ease to suture her giant cut closed. It wasn’t long before the teenager finished her stitching. After all, it hadn’t been the first time Dawn helped The Chosen One with an injury, and chances were it wouldn’t be the last. Though groggy as she was, deep down inside a part of Buffy was still aware enough to feel a little guilty at how adept Dawn had become at that sort of thing. Most people would find threading a needle through someone’s flesh appalling. But oddly enough, this was commonplace at the Summers' home. She could almost see her sister ripping bullets out of wounded men on a battlefield somewhere. The thought made her shiver.

“What’s wrong?” Dawn asked with concern, “Does it hurt?”

“No, it’s just that....what kid sister knows how to stitch close a wound? Dawnie, you shouldn’t have to do this. You should be snuggled in bed dreaming of some cute boy from your class.”

“Eeewww!! Trust me; you wouldn’t say that if you knew the boys in my class.” _Besides, I'd much rather be dreaming about kissing Tara._

The blonde Slayer couldn't help but laugh at the comment. Sometimes she felt so old. She'd forgotten how different things were when you were a normal teenage girl.

Dawn finished her task by using a moist towel to gently clean her sister up, all the while doing a spectacular job of ignoring the awkwardness of the situation. When she had gone to bed tonight, the furthest thing in her mind would have been giving her sister's butt cheek a polishing. 

“All done?” Buffy asked curiously, still facing away from Dawn.

"Yeah, all done." She replied after gently covering the skin with large bandages. Buffy looked at the bloody shirt and jeans lying on the floor and finally realized through her thick haze how naked she truly was. "Um, I should probably put some clothes on." She murmured while trying to get up. To her dismay, the room began to spin, and her legs started to buckle. Thankfully Dawn was there to catch her as she tumbled.

“Wuhhhhh, who's making the world spin???"

“Dummy, the world always spins.” Dawn giggled.

“Dawnie…has anybody told you that you can be such a dork sometimes?”

"Actually...yeah, they have, might be the cause of my non-boyfriend-ness. Now, think you can keep from falling on your butt while I get some clothes from your room? "

"Ok, I think I can handle sitting for a while."

Dawn quickly placed the first-aid supplies back in the medicine cabinet and then walked across the hall into Buffy's room. Once inside, she opened the top drawer of her sister's dresser. Dawn started rummaging through it, half looking for a pair of pajamas, half spying to see what was hidden. Opportunities to legitimately stumble across good secret stuff were few and far between, after all. _A girl had to be ready to take advantage of every chance to snoop on an older sister; it was like an unwritten rule._ Once she had a decent pair of jammies, one of Buffy’s favorites, she started looking for suitable bedtime underwear.

 _EEWW! How the heck can she wear this stuff? It’s got to be uncomfortable,_ She wondered to herself while examining some of her sister’s riskier panty selections. _Doesn’t she have anything normal? Let’s see, she’s got slutty, slutty, skanky, carnival slutty…oooh, and…white trash stripper slutty…_

Meanwhile, in the other room, an impatient Vampire Slayer was getting tired of sitting her nude behind on cold porcelain. Buffy began to wonder what was taking her sister so long. _Probably hoping to stumble across something juicy in my dresser._

"Hey, Dawn, you done in there?"

“Oh sorry Buffy, it’s just I didn’t know you kept your floss inside your underwear drawer.”

“Floss? What are you talking about?” 

“I mean these!”

Buffy glanced up to find Dawn leaning in the bathroom doorway, mischievously stretching out one of her thong panties.

“Hey! I thought you went in there to get me some clothes, not play with my underwear.”

“Underwear? Is that what these are? My mistake…" She said, flashing her sister a playful smile. "So anyway, I couldn't find the regular stuff, so I brought you a pair of mine." She said, holding them up for her sister's inspection.

“Sorry, I can’t wear those.” The blonde said flatly.

“Hey...they’re clean.”

“It’s not that Dawnie...It’s just, I’m too old to wear anything with cute little animals on them.”

“Oh? And what about THESE?” Dawn teasingly brandished the pair of Buffy’s pajamas she’d chosen…which just so happened to have a ducky print pattern.

“No fair! Those are comfortable.” She said, quickly defending her choice in sleepwear. “Besides...They were on sale. And they’re very, very adult.” 

“Right, whatever…I’m sure Victoria’s Secret puts out an entire cute ducky line. But about the panties, you do know you won’t be able to take a shower tonight while that big cut is healing? So are you sure you want this...” Dawn asked while twirling Buffy’s thong on her index finger, “…up your butt all night?”

"Ok, ok, …you win. Give me your Care-Bear underwear."

“I’ll do more than that. I’ll even give you some privacy.”

“Uh, Dawn about that...I’m kind of having just a lil' tiny bit of trouble with the whole coordination thing. I don't want to do this to you. But, you did give me an entire speech before about sharing burdens and what-not. You think you can help?"

"Yeah, sure, what do you need me to do?"

“Nothing much, just help me put...you know…all that on.” Buffy limply gestured towards all the clothes Dawn was carrying in her hands.

"Ok. But if you call me Jeeves, I'm dropping you on your butt, got it?"

"No problem...Alfred."

That statement earned a smirk from the younger girl as she knelt down to help her sister slide a leg into the panties. At the same time, Buffy valiantly struggled to keep both her balance and her modesty intact; The battle wasn’t easy.

While Dawn knelt in front of her sister, she started feeling more than a little uncomfortable. There was something odd about the position that she couldn't quite put her finger on, an intimacy she could detect…that hovered on the very edge of her awareness…but one which Dawn was still too naive to understand. She decided to ease the awkwardness of the moment by continuing with the small talk, "You know Buffy. I don't believe Alfred actually helps Batman put on his underwear. At least I don't think so, I’ll have to ask Xan.... ”

Just then, Buffy lost her balance. Adding to an already embarrassing night, she instinctively reached for Dawn's shoulders to steady herself, inadvertently letting her towel fall to the wayside in the process. The brown-haired teenager caught Buffy's wrists to hold her upright and found herself face to face with the most personal, hidden part of her older sister; her heart stopped. She stared at Buffy's sex, unable to look away. It wasn't the indelicate gaping of a teenage boy or the leering of an old man; Nor was it even indecent. It was, in fact, revealing. She felt a stirring in herself, the feeling of butterflies in her stomach, and certain vertigo. A thought, unbidden, came to her: Wow, _I guess I really am different than other girls. I should…probably talk to Willow or Tara about this whole gay thing soon._

Buffy felt her sister’s intent stare, but misconstrued the reasons…

“Cheerleading.” She said dryly.

“Huh?”

"It's why I do that. Shave it all off. It's a habit leftover from cheerleading and gymnastics. I know you probably find it weird, but if you ever took either up, I would have told you to do it too. It can save you from some…you know embarrassing moments. I just…kept doing it."

Dawn was only half listening; she was still lost in her own thoughts. _Ok, Dawnie, just stop looking at her_ va.. _vagi_ … _Can’t make myself say it!_ Whenever the voice inside her head tried to form the word ‘vagina,’ she flushed to the point where she thought her head would explode. But regardless of what she chose to call it, there it was - Tan and smooth, its skin flawless _…_ Dawn wondered if Tara's looked half as beautiful as Buffy's.

“DAWN!!?”

“Oh, Sorry Buffy didn’t mean to stare it’s just... it’s kinda weird, not that you’re weird for doing it...I mean, after all, you might still need to shave it, maybe it can still save you some embarrassing Slayer moments?"

“Yeah, you know…” Buffy said thoughtfully, “When I was fighting The Master, all I kept thinking was ‘thank God I waxed my hoo-ha.’ C’mon now, peep show’s over. I’m cold, embarrassed, and about to fall on my butt.”

"I bet if The Master had known you shaved for him, he wouldn’t even have killed ya," Dawn said, grinning.

“Oh, that’s funny.”

Dawn let out a sigh of relief, sensing finally that the awkwardness of the moment had passed. She felt the tension leave her body and finished helping her wobbly sister put her nightclothes on.

“Thank you, Dawn. I don’t know what I’d do without you. So...how do I look?”

Dawn playfully eyed her up. “Cute…” she said, rolling her eyes. “It’s a look befitting a Slayer.”

"Hey, you picked this ensemble, remember?"

Dawn smirked as she gathered up her sister's ruined clothing to place them in the hamper. Then Buffy, on unsteady legs, made her way to her bedroom with her younger sister following closely behind. She placed Mr. Gordo safely on the dresser and then pulled aside the covers. Buffy flopped down, exhausted but happy that her night of embarrassment was finally coming to an end. She looked over to Dawn, who was standing at the foot of the bed fidgeting. Buffy knew precisely what she wanted, but also knew that Dawn felt too old and mature to be making such a request.

“Well?”

“Well, what?”

“Which side do you want?” She asked. Buffy decided, mercifully, to make it easy for the young brunette, “I mean, you are going stay here tonight, right? After all, I might need some help making it to the bathroom tonight."

Dawn happily accepted her invitation, and cheerfully bounced onto the bed. Buffy winced in pain.

"Hey, hey, no bouncing. My head is already spinning, remember?” 

“Sorrrrry.” Dawn whispered.

She smiled at her younger sister's apology and gingerly laid on her stomach, praying that she wouldn't accidentally roll over as the night progressed. Dawn gently pulled the covers over the injured blonde, and only after Buffy was comfortable did she climb inside the tangle of cool blankets. Buffy found the gesture sweet. She made a mental note to try to be a little more lenient the next time the 'little scamp' got into trouble. Which, upon consideration of Dawn's track record, could be as early as tomorrow. 

Both Summers girls rested silently, waiting for sleep to overtake them. The bed felt chilly, and Buffy was happy to have Dawn's extra heat under the covers because she couldn't seem to get warm on her own. She dreamily wondered if the poison her hyper-immune system was fighting had somehow lowered her body temperature. Buffy was sure if it wasn't for her sister's body heat, she would shiver all night and not sleep a wink. But in Dawn's warmth, Buffy's eyelids grew heavy.

"Buffy…" Dawn whispered, suddenly breaking the silence. "You know I love you, right? I mean, even though you are like the biggest pain in the butt…I’d still miss you if you were gone. ”

Buffy choked back a laugh. “Thanks…I guess.”

“I’m serious. You got to be more careful.” 

The Slayer leaned up on her elbow and reached out to cup her sister's face. "Hey, Nothing happened tonight. I'm ok, Dawnie. I mean, really. Ninjas. What were the forces of evil thinking, you know?”

“I know. But I worry about you. I just don’t want to see you hurt or even ….”

“What, killed? Hey, no big. Grimm reaper, zero…Buffy, two. I’m like the Timex of Slayers.” She jokingly quipped.

“Soooo, not funny, Buffy." Dawn's smile faded, and the playful twinkle in her eye was replaced by sadness. She'd cried so many times in front of Buffy that it was no wonder she looked on her as a little girl. She couldn't bear it again. So she did the only thing she could, and turned away…desperately trying to hold back her tears.

"It's not a joke. When I see you hurt like that, it takes me back... to when you died..." At that, the dam broke - Dawn could no longer hold back the tears that had been threatening to overwhelm her.

"I didn't mean . . ." Buffy had no idea that her remark would affect her little sister that deeply. She reached out to touch the retreating girl, "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking."

“I can’t lose you again...I’m not strong like you...”

"Oh, Dawnie,” Buffy wrapped her arms around the sobbing girl and pulled her close.

“I felt so alone...” She managed to choke out as her sister hugged her tightly. Buffy placed small kisses on the top of her head. “You’re not going to lose me, no matter what happens.” She said. “I won’t leave you alone again.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.” with that, Buffy eased their bodies closer and tenderly snuggled the younger girl. Dawn relaxed at the comfort of her sister’s embrace, and in a matter of moments, both Summers girls were fast asleep.


	4. “BREAKFAST! (And the drama that followed.)

Part IV

_"…In the latest news...in what appears to be the most recent theft in a string of multiple robberies…"_

"Willow honey, can you please turn that down and come help me in the kitchen?" Tara Maclay called from the kitchen as the anchorman continued his monologue.

_“…It happened late last night in Sunnydale’s Museum of Natural History, where three unknown assailants made off with...”_

The blonde witch's sweet voice was barely audible above the blaring television and the sizzling of breakfast frying on the skillet. But still, Tara called out to her lover anyway. Willow Rosenberg was at that moment happily enjoying a cup of coffee in the living room.

 _“…at least one night security guard was seriously injured…”_ Continued the report. Willow persisted watching, strangely amazed to see an ordinary crime being covered by the media. An unusual occurrence in Sunnydale's standard fare of unexplained gruesomeness. It was rare in Hellmouth country for something nefarious to happen that didn't reek of demonic-doings.

"Willow, Honey, come help with breakfast."

"I'm sorry Tara, I can't hear you." Ther redhead absentmindedly answered from the comfortable nook she’d made for her self on the large living room couch.

_"…mysteriously, the night watchman appears to be suffering from severe frostbite. Police have no leads at this time, and any eyewitnesses are encouraged to…"_

Tara appeared in the entrance of the room, looking slightly miffed.

“I said, can you please help me with breakfast? Dawn and Buffy are almost up, and it's our turn to cook, remember? This whole sharing the chores now that we're living together thing was your idea, after all." She reminded Willow.

"Oh, right, I forgot." She playfully gestured, knowing that all it would take was the right spell and a swipe of her hand to conjure up something to eat. "Ok, four healthy nutritious breakfasts coming right up."

“Without magic, silly.”

"Oh, that's no fun." The redhead pouted as she used the remote to turn off the TV.

"Honey, people have been making breakfast without magic for hundreds of years. Now come on, the sausages are done, I have biscuits in the oven. You can make the scrambled eggs." Tara happily beckoned her lover to follow her.

"Ok …but you know magic would be so much quicker." Willow playfully quipped as she followed Tara into the kitchen.

“Ahh, but quicker doesn't always mean better, take last night, for example," Tara said as she looked back over her shoulder. A lascivious smile playing across the blonde witch's lips.

"Last night? Oh, you mean... LAST NIGHT. With the you and me." Willow murmured as she quickened her pace to catch up to Tara. Memories of Tara's torturous teasing tongue the previous night played in her mind. The older witch had used that nimble red muscle of hers expertly and had driven her to quite a few very explosive orgasms the night before. She was thankful they had found that noise cancellation bubble spell. Willow internally giggled, Buffy would not have appreciated coming home from slaying to those sounds they had been making. 

Once in the kitchen, she decided to take her girlfriend's statement as a chance to start some impromptu and much welcomed, pre-class lovemaking. Willow slinked in close behind Tara, her arms quickly enveloping the blonde witch in a sensuous embrace.

A small cry of surprise escaped Tara's mouth, but it was quickly replaced by a soft whimper as Willow nibbled and teased at her earlobe. Smiling mischievously, Willow let her hands roam the expanse of Tara's body. The blonde closed her eyes and welcomed her lover's touch by melting back into her. Willow reveled in the feeling of Tara in her arms.

Tara, in turn, always enjoyed Willow's amorous caresses. How her soft, delicate hands would coax so much pleasure from her. Marveled at how well Willow knew her body. Even more surprising to Tara was the fact that Willow never seemed to get enough of that body. Loved how Willow practically worshiped every inch of her during their lovemaking. It made her feel like a goddess in bed, which was an odd notion for the older witch. She had never thought of herself as particularly alluring. But in Willow's eyes, Tara was so much more. _It was so freeing and sensual to have someone look at you that way._ The blonde witch thought between Willows tender kisses.

A short moan escaped Tara's lips as her lover sucked and nibbled at that secret spot behind her ear. One of a couple of places that no one but Willow had ever found. There was even one place that had been a secret even to herself, at least it had been until Willow. Tara blushed, _How such a lewd place could bring so much pleasure._ she thought. Willow helped her explore and learn so much about herself both spiritually and sexually. The feeling of adoration and safety Willow provided her made it all possible. Under her light, she had been allowed to grow and she loved Willow all the more for it. The love they shared always made sex between them nothing short of magical. _Like right now,_ she thought as yet another gasp of pleasure escaped her throat. 

The younger witch possessively tighten her embrace around her. Playfully nuzzling her nose where Tara's hair and skin met. Tara bit down at another wave of delight as the younger witch breathed in deeply. To Tara, it seemed as if the mere smell of her body was enough to fill her lover with desire. The older witch was not far off from the truth. The scent of Tara's skin sent pulses of excitement throughout Willow. The redhead could feel the overwhelming arousal inside her increase tenfold. Especially at the junction between her thighs. They had become slick with want. She needed more of the blonde and placed a trail of consecutive kisses along the sides of Tara's neck, relishing every inch of flesh down its length. Willow's skillful mouth sent ripples of ecstasy coursing through Tara's voluptuous body. Tara moaned under Willows tender ministrations.

Emboldened by the response, The red-haired witch began kissing the nape of Tara's neck, causing the blonde's reaction to become audibly louder. Her sounds excited Willow and her kisses became more forceful. She continued to greedily savor the taste of her lover's skin; the moans and whimpers Tara was making drove Willow crazy. Tara's moans always had that effect on her, every time they made love, since the very beginning. It had not changed. Willow was so in love with Tara; it sometimes felt like she could burst into song.

Tara's legs had become weak from the sensations Willow's wicked mouth was causing, and there was a sweet ache between the young witch's legs that yearned for her lover's attention. She wanted Willow to pull down her skirt and take her here in the kitchen. She needed Willow's mouth around her sex. Her nimble tongue eliciting waves of pleasure from her. Just as she had done the night before, multiple times. But, Tara's rational mind knew she needed to put a stop to this. Stop it before it escalated any more because, by Hecate, Buffy or Dawn could walk down the stairs at any minute. 

"Oh, Honey, I want to...That feels so good, but we can't. Not here." Tara said breathlessly hating that she would have to wait until the evening to satisfy that ache.

Willow had other ideas. She kissed and nibbled hungrily towards the pulse point between Tara's neck and shoulder. Smiling she bit down and her mouth began to work on that tender spot, Tara gasped and her hips reflexively began to press back and grind into Willow. Her body was no longer asking for permission to react. All coherent thought had now stopped. To Tara's delight, Willow responded to the sweet friction and began grinding her own hips against Tara. Willow's arm snaked around the front of Tara's waist, pulling back firmly at the older witch's hips. They both wanted to indulge in that magnificent sensation. If only they weren't clothed. Tara thought, wantonly. Clothes prevented her from feeling Willows warm wet need. Tara naughtily wanted the younger woman's excitement coating her backside, marking her as Willow's. It was perverse, she knew, but she was unashamed. She arched back in pleasure and reached for Willow. Her hand found her. Tara clamped down on her lover's head, her fingers tangled passionately in her red hair and silently wished they were dancing among a different set of red curls.

Willow responded immediately, instinctively capturing her lover's mouth with hers. Their kisses were hungry and full of need. Tara's tongue met Willow's. They coiled and interwound, dancing merrily around one another. Both women deepened the kiss. Willow groaned in pleasure as her retreating tongue was captured by Tara's mouth. Her velvet lips encircled Willow's tongue and began to sensuously slurp and suck at the moist pink organ. She was not ready to let Willow break their kiss. Willow's mouth was intoxicating; she didn't want it to end.

To her dismay, Willow did just that before silently walking Tara forward, towards the counter. The younger witch placed her hands on the blonde's ample hips. Her hands quickly slipped inside the waistband of Tara's skirt, reaching in, fondling and caressing the soft flesh of Tara's rear.

"No panties? Naughty girl," Willow whispered playfully in Tara's ear.

"Willow..." Tara began to object as a moment of realization of where they were once again surfaced. It died in her lips when Willow gripped the fabric of her skirt and gently pulled the garment down exposing forbidden flesh to the warm air of the Summers' kitchen. Not fully done Willow continued to slide the skirt down, revealing more of Tara as she slowly knelt behind her. Once finished the young witch took some time to admire the sight of Tara's lovely ass. She unconsciously licked her lips as her lover's heady fragrance reached her nose. Tara was as wet as she was, There was moisture glistening in her inner thigh. The memory of Tara's unique flavor in her mouth tempted Willow but she wanted to draw this moment out. Show Tara how patient she could be. Her hands slowly kneaded and caressed Tara's calves, gently massaging their way back up Tara's soft shaved legs.

"You..are so evil, Willow Rosenberg," Tara half moaned at the sweet sensation. She leaned forward, giving Willow more access to her core.

"I know, but you like it." The red-haired witch teased as she caressed and massaged Tara's ass. She wanted to make this last just as Tara had done the night before. The groan of delight and the slight parting of her lovers toned legs was all the affirmation Willow needed. Gripping the soft flesh at the bottom of Tara's cheeks, her thumbs spread the blonde's gluteal fold open, exposing the private places that only Willow got to see. 

"Goddess, you are so wet." Willow could see the underside of her lovers slit clearly now. She saw how wet Tara's pink folds were. How swollen and puffy they had become from desire. They craved attention. Willow was only too happy to oblige. One hand kept Tara open while the other slowly ran both forefinger and middle finger between Tara's folds, gently massaging the older witch's outer and inner lips.

"By the Goddess." Tara hissed in pleasure.

Willow's fingers were utterly coated by Tara's need after a few seconds. The aroma of Tara's musky nectar almost made Willow want to forego the teasing and just give in. Bury her face deep in Tara's center and taste her with wild abandon. Tara's hips bucked at her touch. She was trying to angle herself so Willow's slender digits could find their way inside. She was practically begging for Willow to plunge her finger or tongue deep inside her. But Willow was not done driving the older girl wild.

Tara soon felt the tips of fingers playing mirthfully at her opening before torturously withdrawing back up along the crevice of her ass. She could feel a wet path of her own juices coating it's length now. She knew what Willow wanted to do and so she reached back with her own hands and very lewdly spread herself more for her lover.

Willow smiled a wicked smile. She loved it when Tara was this naughty. The witch pondered taking her free hand and releasing some of her own tension. No, she wanted this all to be about Tara. Although the thought of masturbating as Tara exposed herself to her in such a fashion was worth revisiting later. She would ask Tara to do this for her again she was sure the blonde would enjoy watching her masturbate to her, it wouldn't be the first time...

"Willow please..." Tara begged.

 _Not yet_ , the mischievous witch thought. Her other hand was now free. She was free to continue massaging Tara's center while at the same time let her other more moist index finger lightly trail it's way back up to the dark brown puckered skin of her lover's most private entrance. It had been a taboo for them in the beginning. But as their intimacy and trust grew, it had become a sort of guilty pleasure, they both occasionally indulged in within the privacy of their bedroom. Tara whimpered again when the wet digit finally reached its destination, felt the sweet sensation as Willow's finger rubbed circles around the small orifice. Coating it once again with her own juices. Willow gently began to push and Tara moaned in exquisite pleasure. This time Tara would not be denied and tried to impale herself on the teasing digit. She mewled in protest when it didn't happen. Tara just wanted Willow inside her. For Willow to use those marvelous fingers of hers to bring the sweet release she craved for.

"Please Willow. I need you inside..."

Suddenly there was the loud sound of a door slamming closed. It startled the witches. They were frozen in place. The tableau they made in the kitchen was quite unique. Tara flushed and bare-assed with Willow looking guilty, kneeling behind her. To their relief, the sound had come from the second floor and not the backdoor. They had been spared the uncomfortable situation of having Buffy catch them in flagrante delicto. The silence was once again broken as angry, stomping footsteps headed towards the bathroom. There was suddenly another slam and another set of angry steps. 

The witches looked at each other in horror. They were both awake.

Willow quickly scrambled and began helping Tara pull her skirt back up. They straightened out their clothes and tried to look like they had not just been doing inappropriate things in the middle of the kitchen. Both witches cursed their own lousy timing.

"I told you not to start this," Tara said reproachfully as she walked past Willow towards the sink. She began washing her hands, trying to ignore the frustration her body felt.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away with the teasing." Willows's remorseful voice put in.

"You think? Now, I'm going to have to go to class like this." the blonde witch gestured down at herself indignantly.

"I know. I should have just, you know, gone for it. Goddess knows I wanted to, but I thought hey Tara said I should take my time with things. So my brain said, mouth, you have to wait before you go tasting Tara's yumminess. So I listened...and now I gave you the lady blue balls."

Tara let out a snort after hearing her lover's absurd explanation. Her anger at the redhead dissipated immediately.

"That's not a thing, Honey."

"Are you sure because I heard from Xander that it is," Willow edged closer. "So if you want maybe I can finish you off quickly with my fingers before Buffy and Dawn come down. Kind of like when we sneak away to the bathroom at the Bronze. It will be like a quickie only a whole lot quickie-r." Willow made a play to get her hand down Tara's skirt again.

"Oh no, you don't, you horny little witch. Not when our friends can come down and catch you with your hand in the cookie jar." 

"But, your cookie jar needs me." Willow protested her hand playfully toying with the waistband of Tara's skirt.

"No, Willow. Dawn is up, and she's way too impressionable to catch us doing things this early in the morning. It's bad enough she's walked in on us making love already."

"Yeah, you’re right," Willow conceded remembering how lately, Dawn seemed to have developed a peculiar curiosity for what went on in their bedroom. Hence the noise cancellation spell the witches had started using. _Maybe Tara's right,_ _It might be best to put the libido on hold_.

"I am so not looking forward to telling Buffy that Dawn is all bi-curious lately. It's weird how delivering that bit of news feels so much more troubling for me then telling Buffy the world is about to end. Warning her of an apocalypse I can do without batting an eyelash but this..."

"Well, there's nothing special about the world ending. But it's not every day her sister starts to discover her sexuality. Speaking of which Willow, Honey, you ARE getting around to having that conversation with Buffy, right?"

"Um, uh...I...Wait, Tara, you smell something?"

“Willow, we need to tell Buffy...”

“Tara seriously…you don’t smell something burning?”

At first, the blonde witch had thought her beloved was just trying to duck the question, but then the smoke detector began to blare a high pitch scream.

“The toast ....oh no! The toast and biscuits!"

But it was too late. The bread in the toaster had been charred beyond all hope of salvation. The breakfast biscuits had been reduced to tiny black cinders. Perfect, The delicious breakfast she had begun was ruined.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to whip up something quick?” Willow asked, playfully wiggling her fingers.

“Willow...” 

"NO, NO, and, oh, you know what else? NO!!!” Buffy’s irritated voice interrupted Tara in mid-sentence. “How many times do I have to tell you? The answer is no!” The Slayer stormed into the kitchen and was quickly followed by an equally agitated Dawn. 

"You're being pig headed," Dawn said, angrily pointing her finger at her older sister. Both the witches were at a loss as to the cause of the argument. Most times, the two Summers girls didn't even really need a reason other than the fact that they were siblings. Willow, being an only child, couldn't understand it. And Tara, coming from an abusive family, could not stand the sight of two sisters fighting over such trivial things.

"Yeah, well…pigheaded or not: YOU...ARE...NOT...GOING. End of discussion." With that, Buffy turned and nonchalantly walked over to the fridge to begin foraging for orange juice.

Dawn, on the other hand, was not entirely as done with the argument.

“End of discussion? For you, maybe, not for me." she shouted, "Would you just stop being an ass and listen to me for once?"

"There's nothing to listen to, the decision has been made, I've put my foot down, and in case you missed it the first time, here's me putting my foot down all over again.” Buffy angrily stomped her foot in front of Dawn, making sure that the young girl didn’t miss the meaning behind the gesture.

Knowing that Buffy was purposely trying to get her goat, Dawn retaliated. "Yeah, well, I know where else you can put that foot."

Her response achieved its desired effect, striking a spark that ignited her sister’s ire even further.

“Wait. What…was…that?”

“I said I KNOW WHERE ELSE YOU CAN PUT THAT FOOT, and you would have heard me the first time if you’d cleaned your ears every once in a while!”

“OOOH!! Dawn, you are really close to seeing me put a foot in someone’s butt, and here’s a clue, IT ISN’T GOING TO BE MINE.”

“Girls.” Willow tried to interject.

“BUTTHEAD!”

"Girls can..." Tara tried as well.

“BRAT!!”

“GIRLS!!!! Can we calm down for a second here? What the heck could you two possibly be fighting about so early in the morning?”

"Forget it, Willow, Buffy is just being her usual _I’m never wrong_ self... like always. Never wanting to listen to what I have to say!”

"Hey, I did listen," Buffy responded.

“Yeah, whatever...I’m off to school; I can’t be around you when you’re like this.”

"You can't leave right now, Dawn! You haven't even had any breakfast! That's like the most important meal of the day..." Buffy called out to the exiting brunette.

“Fine…” Came the reply. “If it’s so freaking important, YOU EAT IT!!” With that, the enraged brunette slammed the back porch door closed.

Buffy was not happy at having Dawn get the last words in and was about to charge after her when Willow jumped forward to block her path.

"Whoa! Buffy hold on there, that's not The Master out there, ok? There's no need to go running out half-cocked. Think about it…is going out there to yell at her some more really going to help?”

“But...”

“You’re the adult Buffy, she’s just baiting you.”

“She can bait my sensible yet stylish shoe right up her….”

“Buffy listen to Willow…” Tara interjected. “I’ll go talk to Dawnie. I think I can calm her down. We have a connection. Leave it to me…”

***

The young witch didn’t have to go far. She found Dawn sitting on the steps of the back porch, sobbing quietly to herself.

“Dawn honey, what’s wrong? What was all of that about? You know you can tell me anything.”

"I know I can. It's just Buffy can be such a jerk sometimes. Last night she came home all hurt, and I helped patch her up. This morning I'm still kind of worried about her, so I asked if maybe she could use some help on her patrols. She agreed to take the Scoobs out with her as backup.”

"Honey, this doesn't sound like something to fight about." Tara placed her arm around the smaller girl.

“I’m not done yet. See, after she agreed to take the scoobies out, I asked about having some backup for today's patrol. Since we're all going to the Bronze tonight anyway, it only made sense. I figure why can the gang tag along with her on patrol like when she was in high school. But miss 'I can do it alone' said we couldn't cause you’d all have to walk me home first, so I suggested that I could come too.”

"Dawn, you know how Buffy feels about you slaying."

“But it’s so unfair! Willow and Xander weren’t that much older than me when she took them on patrol. Why does she have to treat _me_ like the baby? I could really help.”

“You already help, Dawnie," Tara reassured her.

“Yeah, with research. That doesn't count." She pouted. Hating that her sister made feel so useless.

“She only wants to protect you, you know that.”

"I know, I know. But it just sucks that no matter how old I get, Buffy still treats me like a little kid. When will she realize I'm growing up, and there's no way she can protect me forever?"

“But think about it. Aren’t you trying to protect Buffy?”

“That’s so not the point Tara.”

"Yes, it is. Now listen…how is going to school hungry going to prove to Buffy that you're not a child? "

“I don’t know, I didn’t think it all the way through.”

"Well, if you go back inside and eat your breakfast, I promise that Willow and I will talk to her about giving you a little more responsibility. Maybe teaching you some spells, so you can help the team with more than just research, ok?"

The young brunette happily wrapped her arms around her friend, thankful that Tara was always willing to listen. "Has anybody told you you're how amazing you are, Tara?"

Tara smiled, “Just Willow and you sweetheart.’

With that, both girls slowly walked back into the kitchen to eat whatever breakfast Willow had whipped up. Tara just hoped that Willow had remembered to wash her hands because, unlike her, the Summer sisters had no idea where Willow's fingers had just been.


	5. The Bronze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the morning's events, everything had gone back to normal. Buffy and the gang were all looking forward to going out later that night to blow off some steam at...THE BRONZE

Part V

“Ninjas! No way…how did you survive?” An incredulous Xander Harris asked his longtime friend. Obviously giddy over the prospect that his quasi-superhero comrade had finally gotten her mandatory battle with honest-to-goodness Ninjas.

The question nearly made Buffy spit out her drink. Willow and Anya, who sat directly across from the Slayer, were glad that she didn’t.

"What do you mean, HOW did I survive? They were grown men dressed in silly pajamas! Ok, granted undead men dressed in pajamas. And yeah, one almost killed me with a poisoned sword, and I did spend the night having fevered dreams about Japanese game shows, but the result...pretty much the same."

"A Buffy sized boot up the caboose," Tara commented, giggling. It had taken the blonde witch some time, but she had finally started feeling like part of the group. Tara felt comfortable enough to now join in conversations without worrying about whether or not she might accidentally say something strange. Compared to many of the conversational topics the Scoobies had, anything Tara had to say was relatively normal, no matter how you looked at it. 

"Well, I still can't believe you got your first Ninja fight. Did they, like, throw shuriken or vanish into smoke?" Xander asked, still beaming.

“Does stinky green gas count? Cuz, if it does, then yeah, they did."

“Sweet.” Xander happily whispered to himself.

"Buffy, don't you find it a little weird that you just happened to be attacked by ancient Japanese assassins? They aren't necessarily the run of the mill nasties you expect to find here in Sunnydale." Willow thoughtfully interjected. She was worried that her friend didn't see the bigger picture, which was that nothing in the Hellmouth happened without reason. Usually, it meant a lot of sleepless nights for all the Scoobies. "This has to mean something."

“Probably. But more than likely, it’s the same guys who put me in that time loop at the magic shop and sent magicky disappearing demons to beat me up at Xander’s construction site. This seems like something weird enough to be them, whomever they are.

"Wait, where is Dawn?" Buffy suddenly realized that her younger sister was missing from the table. She had been sitting next to Tara most of the night but had left without letting anyone know. Her eyes quickly scanned the room for the missing teen.

“Buffy, can you forget Dawn for a minute and focus here?” Willow pleaded with her old friend.

“I can’t Will. Did you see what she wanted to wear out tonight?"

"Buffy, it was just a halter top." Willow tried to pacify the overprotective Slayer. After all, the redhead had seen what Buffy wore out when they had been Dawn's age.

“Just a halter top?!! The only things holding it together was a prayer and two little spaghetti straps tied in the back. And you could see her navel, her NAVEL Willow. What, I missed the memo that said it was ok for teenage girls to dress like hookers?"

"Buffy, you're overreacting," Tara spoke up, defending Dawn. Remembering how cute she'd looked in that outfit and the disappointment of having been forced to change.

"Whatever...I'm going to go find her." the blonde angrily retorted.

"Relax. Dawn just went to get us a couple of delicious cold fizzy non-alcoholic beverages. I promised her monetary compensation for her services. I have a brand new nickel for her." Anya happily chirped from her seat.

"Anya…YOU sent Dawn to wander around a club? By herself?”

There was an edge to Buffy's voice that made Xander's sphincter contract. For his Anyas sake, he tried to diffuse the situation.

“Buffy don’t worry, the Dawnmeister can handle getting a couple of drinks. You got to release the reigns a bit there. There aren’t any more Hellgods chasing after her. Well, not today, anyway." 

“Xander, this is Sunnydale. For all we know, she's probably been kidnapped by snake worshiping frat boys by now."

"You're overreacting! Snake demon cults don’t normally sacrifice virgins until at least October.” Said the ex-vengeance demon. She was trying her best to reassure Buffy.

“Honey, it IS October.” Xander quickly corrected.

"Oh! Well, Then let's hope Dawn has had plenty of sex then."

"Really…Not helping honey." Xander corrected his oblivious girlfriend.

Buffy gave Anya a death glare and thoughtfully pondered, driving a sword through the ex-demon's heart. Deciding it would be rude to kill Xander’s girlfriend right before his very eyes. She instead left the table to begin searching the dance floor for any signs of her sister. After a few minutes of searching, she spotted Dawn by the bar. Thankfully, it was the Bronze's teen night, so she didn't have to worry about Dawn getting into any alcohol. 

Buffy was about to slink her way quietly back to her table when she noticed the two horny frat boys flanking the smiling brunette. (Her first clue that they were both horny and up to no good had been the fact that they were male.) _Not a good turn of events,_ Buffy thought as she made her way towards the group. Both men had already struck up a conversation with the young girl while she waited patiently for her drinks.

“.....No kidding, I went to Sunnydale high three years ago. I didn’t know they rebuilt the old place. Didn’t it blow up or something?” One of the two college sophomores asked. “Is Schneider still running the show?”

“Wow! Have you really not kept up,” Dawn commented, “Schneider was eaten by like a giant sn....”

"Dawn, there you are, I've been looking all over for you." Buffy interrupted as she pushed her way between the large sophomore and his friend.

"Well, hello, and who are you?" The taller of the college boys asked, as his eyes wandered hungrily over the new girl's body. He was hoping to get at least one phone number out of the encounter.

“Her sister, legal guardian, and the maintainer of the key to her chastity belt, now if you’ll excuse us...” Buffy said, taking hold of Dawn’s arm. She began to lead her away from the horny men.

"No rush, we were just keeping the lil' lady company while she waited for her drinks. You're more than welcome to join us."

"Sorry, guys, not really interested in men who hit on fifteen-year-olds." Buffy flatly stated.

"Hey, I'm almost sixteen." Dawn angrily corrected her sister.

"Fifteen-year-olds? What are you talking about? Who's fifteen years old?"

"She is, read the bracelet genius." Buffy raised her sister's arm to reveal a yellow wristband. The Bronze had made it a policy to use them for its teenage patrons. It made it easier for the bartenders to distinguish who could and could not be served alcohol. Obviously, the two college men had either not taken the time to look past Dawns budding good looks to notice the bracelet or knew about the bracelet and counted on her naiveté for an easy conquest.

"Now, if you'll excuse us." Buffy walked brusquely away with her sister in tow. But halfway to the dance floor, the taller brunette pulled abruptly away.

“Buffy stop, why are you spazzing?” Dawn tried to ask over the loud wailing of yet another angsty teen band taking the stage.

“Why am I spazzing? Those guys were like way over eighteen.”

"So what, it wasn't like I was even interested. We were just talking, and you make it sound like we were having threeway sex on the barstool."

“So not the point Dawn. They are too old for you, and by the way, the word sex does not come out of your mouth. Also, how do you even know about threeways?" She said, waving a reprimanding finger at her sister.

“Too old? Buffy, you dated a two-hundred-year-old vampire when you were sixteen and had sex with him! I can't believe you actually have the nerve to warn me about someone being too old! I remember you and mom fighting over the same......"

“That was different.”

“Different!?! How?... You know what? I'm going home. I don't feel like spending the rest of the night arguing with you."

“Fine. You want to go home, wait here while I get my pocketbook." With that, Buffy stormed off to retrieve her bag from her friends' table. 

_Whatever!_ Dawn thought to herself. She quickly made her way out of the club, ignoring her sister’s order to stay put. She was not even five minutes out of the door when she heard Buffy calling out to her.

“Dawn, where the hell are you going?”

“Home. What’s it look like?" Dawn wanted to escape bumping heads with her sister for a second time that day, but it seemed Buffy had other ideas.

The angry blonde blocked her path.

“I told you to wait!”

"I can walk by myself. Or can't I even do that now?" if Buffy wanted a fight so badly, then Dawn would give her one. She was done playing nice.

***

While the Summers girls argued, a large black van sporting a painted Death Star slowly made it’s way up the street. The vehicle's occupants had been searching for their target most of the night and just about given up. Until fate had intervened.

“Stop, stop, there she is Warren.” Jonathan pointed from behind the driver seat.

“Shit! Quick, pull over!” The self-proclaimed leader of the Trio nearly spilled his 7/11 slushy all over his lap in the frenzy of trying to unbuckle his seatbelt. This was the moment he'd been hoping for, a crucial step towards getting everything he felt he deserved… and Jonathan and Andrew, too, he guessed. With the Slayer as his enforcer, no demon could threaten his push for power in Sunnydale. 

Warren barked out orders as the van came to a screeching halt. “Jonathan, get the net... and make sure to keep our mobile command center ready in case we need to move.”

“HUH???”

“The van, Jonathan. Keep the van running. Moron!! Andrew, get the compound bow and the arrows!”

“Dude, what the hell? Who gave you the matrix of leadership,” Jonathan questioned his domineering friend.

"Yeah, Warren, you ain’t the boss of us!" Andrew whined as he dug through the numerous items they had stolen and stored in their van. He made a quick mental note to leave things relevant to missions on top of the pile from that point forward.

“Are you guys gonna really waste time arguing about this now, or focus on getting us a piece of sweet Slayer ass?"

Without another word, the three young men scrambled into action. After a few short minutes, the team ran out of the van and scurried up the street, taking flanking positions around the arguing girls. Had it been any other time, the Trio would have never gotten so close to the Slayer unnoticed. But at the moment, she was in the middle of a heated argument with her teenage sister. Fire falling from the sky wouldn't have been a better distraction.

"What's next, Buffy? Are you going to feed me, bathe me, and wipe my butt for me?"

The angry brunette screamed at Buffy.

"Dude, is that like Buffy's sister? Cause if she is, I call dibs." Andrew told his compatriots.

“Man, that’s jailbait!!” a shocked Jonathan responded.

“Hello! Supervillain. It's how I roll." The slim blonde quipped. 

"Sorry, dude, I like girls I can actually take to an R rated movie."

“This from a guy that can’t go on the adult rides cuz of height requirements." Andrew pointed out.

“That was low, man. That was low.”

"Would you two morons cut it out and focus before we lose the element of surprise???" An exasperated Warren reprimanded his partners and made a silent mental note to have them both beaten once the Slayer was under his thrall.

"Oh, right..." Jonathan answered as he went back to the task at hand. Namely, netting their intended target who…to his shock…was still bickering with her sister, both girls were completely unaware of their presence. He’d sort of been expecting to be running for his life before they’d made it that far.

“What do you mean you don’t like the way I dress?” Dawn growled at a distance. “Buffy, you were the one who went to high school wearing short mini skirts and hooker fuck me boots..."

"Language, Dawn!" Buffy warned.

"Well…they look kind of busy, Warren. Maybe we should come back?" Andrew hated being impolite.

"What are you, fucking retarded? No, we don't wait, you ass! We shoot her now!!"

commanded Warren feeling his blood pressure rise. The sheer stupidity of his partners in crime was becoming a serious issue.

 _This ship needs to lose some unnecessary weight before it sinks,_ he thought bitterly. He walked over to Andrew, who had been assigned the task of shooting the lithe Slayer with the magical Eros arrow. Roughly pulling him close by the collar, he whispered: “Make sure you do it when I’m next to her.”

“What? Wait, no way...What about us?”

“Andrew…we both know I'm the one with the plan here. You play your cards right, and I'll make sure you get a turn with the Slayer. And whoever…or whatever…else you want. But for right now, think about the big picture." Warren gestured towards Jonathan, who was trying to eavesdrop inconspicuously. "We lose the baggage, i.e., Frodo over there, and it will be the DUO. You and me. Butch and Sundance.”

“Like Bonnie and Clyde...”

"Yeah, Andrew, just like...wait a..”

“Hey! I heard that!” Jonathan shouted at the two whispering men.

"Come on, Andrew, pick your side!" Warren shouted.

"Oh no, you don't!" Realizing he was at the wrong end of a coup, Jonathan charged Warren. He forcibly tackled the taller man to the ground. A display of bravery that Warren hadn't suspected he had in him. Unbeknownst to the Trio…the commotion they were causing had finally gotten the attention of the Summers sisters. 

"Uh, guys....." Andrew tried to get their attention, but Jonathan was too busy raining down blows from his mounted position to care. At least that was until Buffy’s voice startled him back from his junior berserker rage.

“Jonathan? Warren???“ Buffy exclaimed, surprised to see both men having nerd fight a few feet from her.

“You know these guys?” asked an intrigued Dawn.

“Regrettably. Jonathan here went to Sunnydale High with me, and Warren is..." Buffy's temper flared red hot as she recalled who he was, “...the pervert who made Spike’s little sex-bot. Which reminds me; I never really thanked you properly for that.”

Sensing the incredible ass-whooping Warren was about to receive, Andrew quickly drew back the bow to stave off the advancing Chosen One. “Not another step closer, Slayer.” He said in his best villain voice.

“Who the heck are you?” Buffy asked.

The blonde nerd couldn't believe his arch-nemesis had no idea who he was.

"Andrew. Does my name not chill you to the very atoms of your being, old enemy?"

“Sorry, it’s…actually not ringing any bells. At all.”

“C’mon! I summoned the flying monkeys that attacked our high school!”

"He's Tucker's brother," Jonathan interjected.

“The loser who tried to ruin the prom with hellhounds?”

“Yup.” Jonathan answered as he dismounted a bloody-lipped Warren. 

“Wait. Let me see if I understand this. YOU three have what...banded together to be collective pains in my ass?”

“Oh no, Slayer. More sinister than that. We are your arch-nemesis,...arch nemesises...nemesi." He looked over to Jonathan for grammatical help.

"Forget it, dude. Let's do the laugh," The shorter nerd whispered.

Both men turned dramatically at a very annoyed SlayerSlayer and bellowed a clichéd maniacal laugh. They'd been practicing it for days.

“And now Buffy Summers, prepare your self for...”

"Andrew! Stop yapping and shoot her, you ass!!" Warren managed to shout as he lunged towards the Slayer, hoping that the enchanted arrow would hit its mark. If everything went according to plan, it would be his face the petite Slayer saw first. Unfortunately for him, Jonathan was not about to let the Slayer fall under Warren's thrall without a fight. Jonathan used his opening to sucker punch Andrew on the side of the head, which caused him to let the arrow fly towards the wrong target.

Although Buffy's attention had initially been focused on the charging Warren, her brain quickly registered the impending danger before the arrow left the bow.

"DAWN!!!" She screamed, drawing on all the supernatural speed at her disposal to put herself between her sister and the arrow.

On the other hand, Dawn stood frozen in place; to her, the world had suddenly gone into slow motion. She watched in horror as the arrow sailed silently towards her. Closing her eyes at the last minute, The young girl hoped that its piercing stab wouldn't be too painful. But instead of feeling the arrow tear through her flesh, she felt a sudden flash of intense heat course through her body. Followed by a strange sense of euphoria as her heartbeat increased. It felt as if it was pumping at a hummingbird's pace.

The Trio watched in horror as their plans went up in smoke, literally. The two girls were engulfed in a magical blaze that culminated in a reddish vapor, which dissipated nearly as quickly as it had appeared.

"Dawn, are you alright?" Buffy's voice was the first thing the young brunette heard when her inner ear had finally adjusted to the thumping of her heart. She slowly opened her eyes to meet her sister's concerned gaze.

Emerald eyes locked on azure orbs. Both the girl's pupils dilate. For a split second, their auras became visible, then suddenly disappeared. It was then that Dawn realized Buffy had shielded her from the arrow.

"What happened? Are we dead?" was all the dazed teen managed to say to her sister. She felt flushed and confused.

“No honey, you’re ok...Stay put.”

The angry Slayer slowly turned to glower at the puzzled Trio.

"I have a few asses to kick.”

The Trio had no idea what to do. Never had their nefarious schemes gone so wholly awry. The Slayer had been hit with the arrow and was looking their way. They prayed that the spell would kick in at some point. But considering the fury they sensed emanating from the petite blonde, they knew the burning glare she was giving them was far from amorous.

“Andrew, come on! Load up the other arrow and shoot the bitch!” Warren commanded the blonde youth, who was already nervously trying to take another shot. The three men knew that a world of pain awaited them if they did not act quickly. Andrew drew back the arrow and let it fly. To his dismay, it sailed past the Slayer and exploded into a magical blaze as it collided with a nearby tree.

“OH!!! SHIT!!!” the Trio exclaimed in unison.

Andrew drew the third and final arrow from the quiver and let loose. To their mutual horror, the shaft was caught mere inches from its intended target, plucked from the air in one rapid fluid motion by the incensed Vampire Slayer.

That single move put the final nail in the Trio's criminal career. Typically, both Andrew and Jonathan would have been awed by such a display of martial prowess. They'd have no doubt compared it to all accounts they'd witnessed on the silver screen. But all they could do now was stand frozen in sheer terror as The Slayer descended upon the screaming Warren first in an almost predatory fashion.

Oddly enough, Jonathan was brought back to images of his pet cat toying with a wounded cricket. Recalling the sheer joy the animal took in the bugs suffering. The event had chilled him then, and now, a similar icy chill crept down his spine as he realized, in this case, he was the bug.

He turned to Andrew, wanting to ask if he knew it too. But there was no need. The yellow trickle of courage running down and pooling at the thin blonde's feet was all the answer he needed.

***

"You missed!! I can't believe you fucking missed!!!" A bloodied Warren screamed as a stout middle-aged police officer handcuffed him to the gurney he was on. His angry shouts could still be heard as it was shoved inside the back of a Sunnydale Memorial ambulance. The detective sitting in the passenger seat of an SPD cruiser parked alongside smirked as he watched the ambulance pull away. He looked through the patrol car's rearview mirror to the two bruised and battered young men crying in the back. They had gotten an anonymous tip on the criminals responsible for a string of burglaries, one of which had put a security guard in the hospital.

At best, the senior detective had hoped for a lead in the case. Little did he expect to find the actual culprits gift wrapped in a van containing all the evidence required for a conviction.

Christmas had come early for Sunnydale's finest.

The detective smiled once more before turning the ignition. The engine roared to life, and soon the police cruiser sped off into the distance.

A pair of blue eyes watched intently from the crowd that had gathered.

"Good riddance," Dawn stated as Buffy put a protective arm around her.

“Warren was a scum bag, but I can’t believe Jonathan would do this. You saved the ungrateful little twerps life in high school.” Xander said. He was having trouble believing Jonathan would be involved in anything that would hurt Buffy. It was him, after all, that had given her the Sunnydale class protector award.

"Well, I never trusted him, he peed in the pool," Willow said, recalling her interview with him years prior. Back when the Scoobies were trying to find out who was responsible for turning Sunnydale High's swim team into black lagoon creatures.

"Yeah, well, the swim team had it coming," Xander petulantly responded to the red head's comment. Considered how much he had despised the many forms of "jock" he'd encountered during high school, Xander felt he might have been tempted to do the same thing.

"Buffy, what do you suppose they were after?" Willow asked her friend.

"Who cares? Whatever it was, it didn't work." Buffy growled, wishing she had not held back when pounding the little twerps.

"Yeah, but Buffy…you said it yourself. The arrows magically exploded." The red-haired witch said while examining the arrow Buffy had broken in two during the altercation with the Trio.

"Look, guys, it's been a long night. Willow, you and Tara are welcome to research explodie arrows all night long if you want. But Dawn and I are just going to head home." 

The Summers sisters said their goodbyes and began their slow, solemn walk home. Both girls remained silent for the entirety of the walk. Buffy for one didn't feel one hundred percent. She felt physically drained, worn out, and run down by all that had occurred. Mostly, she chalked it up to the after-effects of the poison from the ninja's blade. Dawn, on the other hand, just wanted the night to be over. She couldn't believe that once again…Buffy had willingly thrown herself in the path of danger to protect her. The teenager couldn't help but think that if the idiots they'd faced moments before had been even a little more competent…Had the arrow that hit Buffy not been a dud…she would have lost her only sister again. And the last memory Buffy would have taken with her to the afterlife of their time together would have been yet another petty argument. Quietly, she bit back the tears and forced her mind elsewhere. 

Once they were home, the girls padded to their respective rooms. They closed their doors and slid out of their day clothes, letting them fall away like the bitter memories of that night. Content in the intimacy of their home, amidst the comfort of familiar sights and smells, the sisters crept into their beds and slept deeply. Oddly enough, at the very same time, they dreamt of each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you were promised more smuttiness by the tags, but plot happened. This is only my second story and my first attempt at more porny writing so I apologize. The good news is we have finally come to the naughtier bits, sort of speak, of our tale. The next few chapters will be considerably more smutty. :b

**Author's Note:**

> Not to worry I promise there will be some of the naughty stuff happening later in the chapters if you bear with me. Also, this is only my second story so comments are welcomed.


End file.
